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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cold — not warm
  3. firm — decided
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cold — an illness
  7. charge — a price
  8. firm — a company
  9. march — the month
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. march — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com